DHAKA, August 7, 2017 (BSS) -State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid today hoped that the gas sector master plan 2017 would be prepared timely incorporating rational opinions.
“To ensure energy security in the country, the Awami League government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has started preparing the master plan in time,” he said while addressing a function on “Presentation Draft Final Report on Gas Sector Master Plan 2017 as the chief guest here.
Among others, Chairman of PETROBANGLA Abu Mansur M Faizullah, Ambassador of Denmark to Bangladesh Mikael Hemniti Winther, Director General of Power Cell Engineer Mohammad Hossain and Director, Departmental Studies of Ramboll Soren Lovstad Christensen spoke on the occasion.
The state minister said since the world energy scenario is changing, Bangladesh needs to ensure energy security with its limited resources, adding, “We have prepared the power sector master plan with JICA finance.”
Referring to the global scenario in the energy sector, he said, “we have a plan to produce 50 percent power from coal-fired plants but the scenario is changing, as the world is going for clean energy. In this context, we don’t have enough land for big power plant or no area for deep sea terminal. So, we have introduced short term, mid-term and long term plans.”
According to the gas sector master plan details, World Bank is providing financial support to prepare the Gas Sector Master Plan 2017, being done by Denmark-based Ramboll consultancy firm.
Earlier, the Power Cell signed a deal to prepare a new master plan for the gas sector focusing on demand-supply projections, assessment of oil and gas exploration possibilities and development of road map to enhance gas reserve earlier.
The consultancy firm also presented the draft final report today on the master plan with mentioning several possibilities for supply, diversification in supply possibilities – entails better bargaining power.
It said the transmission backbone requires minimum 42″ pipeline from
Moheskali to Dhaka and a 36″ pipeline further on to Khulna in the West.
Engineer Hossain said the government wanted to bring the management of the gas sector under a new master plan, which is expected to constitute a medium-term plan for least-cost augmentation of supply and sustainable development of the country’s gas sector.